The Language of Light

In this edition, the video camera floats through the action as a shot comes together, capturing the musings, conversations, and the never ending adjustments of location shooting. It’s not as nuts and bolts as the first edition, and it takes the tools and lessons of The Language of Light Volume One into much more complex realms of using speedlights (and some big strobes) to good effect on location.

Understand how to control the ambient light, back light, and capture the feel of fluid motion in a smoky, drama filled theatre

Why wait for the sun to cooperate, when you can create your own ”sun” using four speedlights outside a window?

Construct an elaborate rooftop lighting scenario using 14 small flashes to showcase a beautiful ballerina placed in the midst of urban architecture.

Explore a technique known as “hi-speed sync” to gain control in an otherwise difficult exposure.

Learn how to work with a fading sky and turn it into a vivid sunset, all while playing with color and motion blur.

Discover a technique known as “flash and blur,” where we use big strobes and continuous lights to illustrate and freeze the speed of movement.

Disc One:

Down to the Basics

This disc gets you out of the gate, by explaining in very simple terms the rules of the road for good light. Simple light, simply explained. There’s a lot you can do with one flash in your hand, and we go ahead and do it.

Turning one small flash into one big light – The name of the game with small flash is to make it look like big flash. Lots of strategies explained here, but if you’ve only got one speed light and a white wall, you’re in business!

Controlling harsh natural light – One of the most important things to know as a shooter is how to use bad light well. Taking hard, nasty daylight and turning it into beautiful light is actually pretty easy. Anybody got a bed sheet and a piece of white cardboard?

Dramatic one light portraiture – One light can be soft and beautiful, but It can also create drama through the magic and mystery of shadows. The play of light and dark on the human face is essential to explore if you want to shoot good portraits.

Tour of small flash light shapers – There’s lots of stuff our there you can hang on your small flash to shape, bend, soften and tweak it. We’ll show you some terrific ones that are simple and wont break the bank.

Light placement – Where you put the light is almost as important as where you put your camera in relation to your subject. We’ll show you how distance and direction can dramatically affect the quality of your light.

Disc Two:

Getting Your Light Out of the Studio

As they say, when you go outside, anything can happen. We take you on locations, big and small, and light them up with everything from one light to a group of lights. We talk about location assessment (scouting), basic strategies for one, two, three or more lights, and how to get the most out a location. Environmental portraiture! A face in a place! In this disc we get out of the studio and meet the world, flash in hand! (And on stands, booms, clamps, etc.)

High speed sync – High speed flash! These (often overlooked) techniques help to tame the sun, and limit depth of field for effective portraiture. Just because the sun is out in full force, doesn’t mean you can’t use flash effectively.

Mixing color temperatures – The “big three” of flash lighting – quality, direction, and color. Throughout the DVD, we talk about the color of light and how we mix flash with ambient and existing artificial light.

Flash and blur – Flash moves fast! We’ll explore how to show motion in a “still” photograph.

Athletic portraiture – Strategies for lighting the athletic human body. Drama, intensity, and excitement are key components of the world of sports, and your flash technique has to meet that challenge. We’ll show how to make the athletic body come alive.

Lighting in a tight spot – Small spaces present big challenges. The locations photographers encounter are rarely ideal. We’ll tackle different tactics for lighting dramatically in a small space to get maximum effect.

Group portraits – Our favorite thing! Groups! Tips and tricks for lighting the masses, large and small.

Engaging Your Subject – Before you can photograph someone effectively, you need to establish a relationship. Get to know them, make them feel relaxed, and help them encounter the camera with confidence. All throughout both discs, we show the importance of human relations, and how to make someone feel and look good in front of the lens.